Customer Reviews

Jeff Beck Group

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great album.......

Recorded in Memphis and produced by Steve Cropper, it set the stage for Jeff's entrance into the Mahavishnu inspired era in which he continues today. Few albums have been underscored cornerstone gems (Boz Scaggs' first album with Duane Allman comes to mind) that would probably track as high, if not higher, if released today than when they were originally issued.

Great material and performers, played with with accomplished integrity.

On what is sometimes called "The Orange Album", Jeff Beck is captured at a special time of his music somewhere between coming out of conventional rock/blues and going into more of a fusion motif he would go on to explore for most of the mid-seventies. This album is one of my favorites of the early 70s period, and Beck is here in somewhat rare form; not playing conventional blues, but hinting more at progressive elements in rock and fusion. That said, the album does have some rockish R&B such as the Dylan cover "Tonight I'll be Staying Here with You", a revved up and sophisticated cover of "I've Got to Have a Song", and an outlandish boogie version of Nix's "Going Down". There are a few odds and ends such as "Glad All Over" and "Sugar Cane - which is not quite a reggae piece. The rest of the album features some wondrous progressive playing such as "Ice Cream Cakes" - a terrific cross of prog-like rock and fusion featuring some of Beck's most intriguing chops and some wonderful electric piano by Max Middleton all in a jazzy vain backed by pulsating rockish bass and Cozy Powell's drums. "Highways" has yet more prog-rock feel and some of Becks most tempered yet exciting chops all capped off by more soulful fusion electric piano from Middleton. "Definitely Maybe" is one of Becks most unique composition's: masterfully done here with a sophisticated feel, it is almost a cross between a ballad and a lament and is entirely infectious. This album occupies a unique era (my favorite) in Beck's stylistic sojourn; only the preceding album "Rough and Ready" is anything like it in style. Four and a half stars.

I had this album when it came out, actually my brother had it and I grew up listening to whatever he had so...Led Zepplin, Yes...all the good stuff from back then. This album was no exception. They are all good musicians and even though there's not much 'technically challenging' stuff on here, it is still SO great to listen to! To sing along with and groove with the music. I hadn't heard it in 20+ years and it brought back SO many great memories. Just a great bunch of songs!

Disappointed in the quality of this Japanese remastered CD. In an attempt to clean up the real tinny high frequencies, particularly on the vocals, they ended up muting the cymbals and a little bit of the guitar. It's otherwise cleaner and a little richer than the original release CD. Bottom line: if you have the earlier CD, hold on to it, it's still pretty good, even if you buy this CD.

This is a truly hard album or cd to find,but if you can you will shurely like the beginings of early combinations of rock,blues,&jazz put together in a early and powerful style, which will get you primed for ther second album Rough And Ready.I'am a big Jeff Beck fan having over 8,000 albums in my collection,I have every Jeff Beck album all the way back to the Yardbirds to date, but for some reason I realy enjoy the begining of a new style and new band combination like this one,it sets off some unique tallents by Max Middleton-panio,Cozy Powell-durms,Clive Chaman-bass,Bob Tench-vocals,& of corse Jeff Beck-lead guitar.If you like what you hear see my coments on there next album.Happy Jammin Bill T.

It's hard to review Jeff Beck because while his guitar work is never short of amazing, the genre and/or the material may not always be a match for his spectacular level of skill. So it is with this album. If you like your Beck rocking with soulful vocals, then by all means, this is your cup of tea. The singing is not my favorite part of this recording because I think Bob Tench reaches a bit too far and sounds a bit strained, but the style of the music itself is okay. The musicians are good enough and some of the songs are really good and make you wonder how in the world Jeff Beck never became a household name. Seriously - ask the casual music fan about Jeff Beck and see how many people answer, "But I didn't know that Beck guy had a first name..." The record starts off promisingly enough with Cozy's drum intro and the fun rocking "Ice Cream Cakes" and ends with a beautiful piece that hints strongly of the Blow by Blow world Jeff was headed towards. In between is a mixed bag of songs including the minor radio hit "Goin Down," which despite the lack of any kind of lyrical content, manages to capsulize Jeff's chops pretty neatly. Throughout this record, like all of Jeff's work, you have the man's guitar playing - the tone, the whammy induced howls and growls, the lightning fast hammer ons and pull offs, the hyper-sonic bends, and the rest of the arsenal this genuine guitar hero packs. If you don't care how your Beck is served up, you probably already own this. If you are more choosy about the accompaniment, listen to some samples and see if you care for this seventies rock and soul sampler.

I am not a BIG Beck fan-but Jeff has earned his dues and to this day, is a stunning musician. His dysfunctional ability to keep a band together, is perhaps part of his persona. Having said that-This album is what I consider his finest.

The song Definitely Maybe is worth the cost of the album alone. I cannot believe IT HAS NOT BEEN RE-MASTERED and a current item for sale on AMAZON except for an expensive import!

NOTE TO MR. BECK: "Get with it!!!" I had the original CD and it was...stolen. I even had a rare VHS video of Jeff performing the song DM with Max, and the band. THAT was stolen too! What does that tell you???

There is a great demand for this musical content!!! Now I am a BIG Amazon fan and I Kindle like you would not believe! But let me tell you this. All the tracks on this Album/CD

are fantastic and I am a professional writer and more importantly, a professional musician.

Bob Tench, who I believe has passed on, was one incredible vocalist. Cozy Powell, who has also passed on was one the very best rock drummers, so much that bassist, singer,

composer, JACK BRUCE rated him very high-and Mr. Bruce knows good drummers. Then there is MAX on keyboards.

Jeff would layback and let Max carry the melody, something Beck could not do with a Power Trio, in an earlier format. The Bassist is excellent too.

I have never heard a Bob Dylan cover song, down SO WELL as the one featured on this album/CD.

I cannot tell you what a major oversight, that this album is NOT on full release and license for purchase, and right at the top of the AMAZON Title List. Jeff if you or any of your associates are listening:

Please get this Re-Mastered and re-issued. I would even go to say it should even be presented on high quality DVD audio.

What a shame that, this has been left in the retail gutter. I strongly urge, avid Beck appreciation folks to order, this via any venue or alternate seller-but Jeff-you really need to address, what I am writing about.

You only live once, pal, and your works should be front row and center. Thank you for reading.

I have always refered to this slab o wax as the "Orange Album". It's really one of the last great Jeff Beck Group LPs. This LP preceeded the all out jazz fusion asault of Blow by Blow/Wired & if your a JB fan you need this LP. (seek out the vinyl if possible.) First, it features the stellar line up of raspy Bob Tench (every bit as soulful as Stewart), pianist Max Middleton, monster-masher Cozy Powell ( I forget the bassist Clive?), anyhoo this line up could handle it all (soul, funk, hard rock, instramentals, blues). Beck is in peak form on this record whether he is buring up the strat on Freddy Kings "Going Down" or Ice Cream Cakes. Check out the awsome slide work of "Definately Maybee" or Ashford-Simpson "Cant Give Back the Love I Feel" or the very soulful reading of Dylans "Tonight I'll Be staying Here With You" I have always prefered how Beck plays with a good vocalist. He appears with "wrachet up" his game with good vocals in tow & on this LP, he did just that.

This is one of my favorite albums of the 70's....A GREAT mix of rock, jazz, and blues...If you own 1 Jeff Beck album, make it this one.....Highly recommended!

OK my title says it all. My question for you trivia people is what happened to Bob Tench?